How to choose a public adjuster for your property damage claim
If you’re thinking of hiring a public adjuster, there’s a good chance you’re in a hurry. Whether you’ve just suffered serious property damage or received a lowball offer from your insurer, you need help right now. Asking just these five questions will tell you whether the public adjuster you’ve found is qualified and ready to help you get a fair settlement.
1. What tools do they use?
Your insurance company’s adjuster uses purpose-designed tools to estimate damage and losses. To put you on equal footing with your insurer, a public adjuster will also take advantage of specialized software, cameras, and professional measuring tools to obtain the most accurate valuation of your claim. For example, Xactimate is the standard subscription-only software insurers use to estimate property claims. Grenier Public Adjuster uses that tool too, so we’re speaking the same language as your insurer, and then we go beyond it by sending an experienced general contractor for a more thorough inspection. We also use advanced 3D visualization technology to document every detail of your property damage. The Matterport camera and platform enable us to create a shareable 3D virtual tour of your entire property. Questions about the type of materials, size of fixtures, and similar issues can be resolved easily, even after demolition, using a Matterport-generated digital twin.
2 .How will they help with inventory?
Creating an inventory is one of the most arduous tasks a property owner has to undertake after a loss. A toothbrush here and a pair of socks there may seem like small potatoes compared to major property damage, but the cost of replacing those items adds up quickly. If you have a special hobby or interest, you may have a lot of equipment, supplies, or collectibles not accounted for in a standard household inventory. A thorough contents inventory with accurately appraised values protects you from severe financial hardship. Ask about the process and tools a public adjuster uses to help you compile and document this information and then present it to your insurance company in a way it will understand and accept. A good public adjuster will go room by room and drawer by drawer to generate a detailed list of lost contents, then use multiple sources to appraise each item, saving you weeks of time. This example inventory from an actual claim we processed lists over 3,000 items and contains detailed cost-per-item information, down to sales tax and replacement value.
3. What experience do they have in construction or remodeling?
A big reason for settlements that don’t fully cover property damage is that insurance companies often use generic models. If your property has any special features or is built with upgraded materials, your insurer’s offer may not take that into consideration. Exotic hardwood flooring, designer tiles, custom window treatments, and other features obviously cost more to replace. Local building codes may also require specific materials or methods, like shingle matching for new roofing. Hidden damage is another problem sometimes missed by an insurer’s adjuster, whether it’s hazardous mold in the walls after a burst pipe or smoke and soot creeping into floors, insulation, and other materials. A public adjuster with experience in the building trades knows how to spot structural damage not visible to the naked eye, assess the extent of repair that will truly fix the problem, and fairly evaluate the quality of building materials.
4. How much difference will this make in my reimbursement?
While every case is different, a prospective public adjuster should be able to point you to past instances where clients realized a significant increase in reimbursement. For example, after a multi-building five-alarm fire caused extensive damage, Grenier Public Adjusters determined that the insurance company’s initial offer didn’t take into account the extent of the damage, the unique features of the buildings, or the value of the contents destroyed. In the end, we helped the claimants in this case get almost $300,000 more than their insurer was offering. We also helped a client with water damage increase a settlement from the $150,000 initially offered by the customer’s insurance company to nearly three times that amount. Cases like these may not be typical, but they illustrate the ability of a public adjuster to drill down to details the insurer’s adjuster missed.
5. Will they stick with you until the job is done?
Resolution of insurance claims can drag on for months or even years. That’s a big reason property owners choose to work with a public adjuster in the first place: so they can get back to their lives while a professional handles the negotiation. Ask about their experience with long-term cases and be wary of promises of quick resolution—fast doesn’t always mean fair. The good news is that when a public adjuster handles your claim, it’s likely to move far more quickly. A highly qualified public adjuster knows the insurance business and the construction business, and we use that knowledge to cut through the red tape and delays.
When asking these questions, remember that you’re listening not just for what a person says, but how they say it. We’re proud that Grenier Public Adjusters’ customers often say how professional and calm we are when they are distressed, and how much it helps that we take time to answer questions and keep them informed. The way a public adjuster responds to you now may tell you a lot about what you can expect when you’re really in need.
As a public adjuster, I represent homeowners, not the insurance companies. It would be my pleasure to have a no-obligation meeting with you to discuss our services. Please contact Grenier Public Adjusters at 774-239-6822 or fill out our contact form.